Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1887-11-25
NATELLA.

There was genuine welcome in the deli
cate voice.
Theodore, Pauline, dear girls. How
glad, how very glad 1 am to see you.
Cousins, this is charming"
A tall young man courteously kissed
their hands.
The house was mansion at the south.
'Jetty, stop that whistling and run in
to NANNY"
The prettiest little darby imaginable
laughed the jolliest laugh, put his dusky
hands to the rich soil and began turning
somersaults out of sight.
"Jetty, you Jetty," called Tante; but
the little woolly head, unmindful spun by.
"Now, girls, Gomez and linking her
arms in those of her two tall nieces,
Tante led the way through the great hall,
and up the wide staircase to their rooms,
where, with parting kiss, she left them.
''Theon'
The fair haired sister turned slightly.
s'Theor'
Pauline dropped her gloves, hat, jacket
on the sofa.
%'Are we dreaming?''
Thoughtiully, Theo deity made tight
bunch of her gloves, and with precision
worthy of herself tossed them direct in
the face opposite. "I'm not, but perhaps
you are.'
Pauline started The words were
scornfully spoken. Moving over to the
window quietly, she rested her hands on
it's ledge and leant far out Her sister, in
the room, began hastily setting things to
rights.
The day was one Of exquisite beauty.
The air, heavily laden with acacia sweet
ness, stirred but slightly. Pauline, wea-
rily brushing away her clinging hair as
one dreaming, rested motionless at the
window. Day was passing into night.
The bushes, the trees, thickly clustering,
dotted the large garden with their heavy
shadows. The thick foliage of the trees,
stirred by the slight breeze, rustled softly.
A great acorn leaf swept timorously the
soft cheek pressed to the hard wood of the
window, swept it again and again. The
old tree close to the house and shading
many Of its rooms, could, by stretching
far ous the long, slender branch, keep the
leaf tapping gently. The girls blue eyes
were opened wide, but she seemed to no.
tice nothing. The long journey had tired
her unduly. She was resting. parrot,
! she heard him chatter, chatter, tiresome
bird, in the room above. Acorns drop
ping, she heard them plainly, one, two:
two, one. The birds everywhere were
singing, each a different song. What
rustling they did make among the leaves!
Fighting-some five or six were busy at
it, swirling in now great circles, then
small ones, and at each other. So close
they came to the head below them that
the air they made ruffied all her hair.
But still she moved not. The birds on
the ground beneath the window wildly
+bo1, Sbo
heard the slow, heavy tread of some one
walking through the grass. Looking
sharply, she saw plainly powerful negro
coming to the house. ga slave"-she
breathed the word He neared the house,
stopped and entered a side porch. A straw
hat drawn low over his forehead had kept
his face from view. But instinctively she
knew it was fine one. A figure, grace
full, slight, came hurrying by. Pauline,
leaning out still further, waited.
'iNatella?'
The figure stood motionless. The
shapely head moved eagerly from side to
side then dropped. When, as low note
of Bird came the words, ''pas mainte-
nant."
'.Natella, look up! Here am"
Pauline laughed at the fright, the sur
prise in the great eyes raised to hers. A
smile of wonderful sweetness was on the
red lips in moment.
"Ah Missy Welcomed Welcomel''
'tSee, Natella, Tante had written SC
much about you that l knew you at once
You were not with the other servants
when we Gamer"
''No, missy, one of the pickaninnies
was sick and l staid with it."
''Natella, is you comin'?''
~, :, Dau1ina caid
With low bow of her head she turned
away.
Beautiful. She is far, far lovelier than
had ever thought. A creole!' slave!
Can it be possible?" She felt suddenly
chilled.
Under the window it was Harold she
now saw walking, with his long, easy
strides He was out of sight in a moment
But still she heard the sound of his
spurs clinking, the whirling of his riding
whip still saw the tiny light cleaning
like a fire fly on his finger, and remem-
bered the ring with the tho solitaire Taute
had given him recently.
care you sick? What is it? Pauline, do
you hear?'
Theo shook her roughly. "Supper? Did
you say it was ready?'' But her sister had
left the room.
''Have been dreaming, or what is it9
feel strange, strange"
She dashed the cold water from the
basin again, yet again, over her face.
''Homesick?'' The laugh which fol-
lowed had tremor in it. Pauline was
barely 1G.
Down stairs, in the high ceiling dining
room, with it's armor and stiff backed
chairs, seated at the table, the family waited
for her. The supper was long and merry
| Tante and Pauline talked together while
| Theo and Harold made the slender glasses
CULVER with the merriment of their laugh
ter. The low windows were opened wide,
and from her seat Pauline looked out at
the darss, moving bushes and saw the
stars cleaning sharp in the heavens She
noticed as she sat more quiet than the
others-was she not the youngest of them
| all?-that the kind eyes of Tante rested
| with look of love on Theo and on Har-
old. ''She is thinking they will marry"
| Pauline thought
The supper was ended, and only too
soon the evening had gone, when the first
night in southern land for these girls
from distant cline, visiting the home of
their father and his fathers, had passed.
Pauline and her sister, when mounting
! the stairs to their room, were stopped by
their aunt, calling!
ssGirls," she said, coming into the hall,
IT have told Natella she is to wait on you;
so take her as your own. You will find
she is useful"
Tante smiled graciously, She had given
them her fayorite maid. AS Theo blew out
her candle that night, some hours later.
she startled her sister from her sleep by
asking sharply:
s'Do you know who this girl is Tante
makes SO much sf-the one she calls Ma
tella?'1
Pauline raised herself on her elbow,
'sNo but I shall tomorrow" fell back
between the pillows and slept.